Don't Talk To Milo
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Romance
A restless woman, Ellie, reaches out to her teenage crush, Milo, after a decade to let go of the old attachments and move on with her life. She goes through a rollercoaster of emotions from internal terror through acceptance and takes Milo with her on this journey.
Don't Talk To Milo
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Romance
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,402 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
42 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A restless woman, Ellie, reaches out to her teenage crush, Milo, after a decade to let go of the old attachments and move on with her life. She goes through a rollercoaster of emotions from internal terror through acceptance and takes Milo with her on this journey.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SYNOPSIS
After a decade of being unable to speak her true feelings, Ellie, now a married woman in her late twenties, meets her teenage crush, Milo, to admit her feelings to him.
Ellie is going through a rollercoaster of emotions reliving the old love and the old fear of talking to Milo. As Milo tries to understand why she reached out to him, he is torn between empathy for her and the annoyance with her confusing ways of communicating.
The constant contradiction this meeting gives birth to forces both of them to reevaluate not just the past but also the present. Don't Talk To Milo is a romantic dramedy about a person's desperate attempt to get closure.
WHY SUPPORT THIS FILM?
Someone recently asked me if this was a coming of age movie and it hit me. IT IS! Only coming of age 10 years later in your late 20s. There are more people like Ellie out there, who left a chapter open in the last "age group" they belonged to so they haven't been able to move on. For Ellie it's her teenage crush, but for you it might be something else. Some other unresolved issue, a relationship with your parent, that bully you never faced, that job you didn't apply for because you thought you weren't qualified enough, that dream you never pursued out of fear of failure, just that life you want to live and aren't able to because something is holding you back. This film examines how to face THAT thing that's holding you back even if it means embracing yourself, being awful at communicating, being scared, making a fool of yourself.
Elements of the Film
Where we are at and what's the plan:
Preproduction is in full swing! The actors are cast, and the heads of departments are ready to go. Rehearsals and director-DP collaboration are underway. Filmmaking is very expensive, and we want to compensate our amazing team as best we can. While it won't be close to their standard rates, they are passionate about the craft, love storytelling, and are excited about Ellie's story so they are all in!
66% of your support will provide small compensation for enormous work our talented team is doing
11% will help us secure the crucial location we need—a BAR! These are expensive to book.
>10% will go to equipment rental. No equipment, no film.
6% will cover meals and water for the team
2% for transportation and gas to get our team and equipment to the location
2% will help our actors dress the part and provide them with necessary props
1% will go to the hard drives we need to keep the footage before we deliver the film to you
and last but not least
5% will cover emergencies, because let's face it, if something can go wrong, it will.
If you would like to join us but can't contribute financially, we understand and would absolutely appreciate you sharing this this link on your social media, to your Friends and Family, you would still be helping us spread the word.
STRETCH GOALS
If we raise more than 100% we will be able to cover postproduction and festival distribution costs.
2000$ will cover color correction and editing. Editing is where everything comes together and we get that little piece of magic we call film.
1000$ will cover the festival distribution costs. Each submission costs anywhere from $50 to $100.
We want to have an audience. We are making the film so that people can see it and ideally leave the screening thinking about their lives.
Stills we used on this page are from the following films we love:
My Blueberry Nights
Decision To Leave
The Holdovers
Full Time
Unfaithful
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $6,675
Cast & Crew ARE the film! We have an amazing team of professionals and we really want to pay them at least close to what they are worth.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $600
We need to rent additional light and lenses to deliver the best quality film!
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $600
We need to feed our crew. They will be working hard and deserve the best.
Location
Costs $1,125
The main part of the story takes part in the bar and we are trying to get a bar in NEW YORK CITY. Those are expensive. :)
Contingency
Costs $500
Unexpected things happen on the sets all the time. But the show must go on! Help us keep the set running no matter what.
Hard Drives
Costs $100
We need to keep our footage safe.
Props and Wardrobe
Costs $200
We will need costumes and set pieces that have to be designed specifically for the story.
Car and Gas
Costs $200
We will need a car to transport all the equipment and some of the crew members.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Eka Kukhianidze
Writer, actor, director
Eka Kukhianidze is New York-based actor and writer born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia (the country, not the state). Emigrating to New York a couple of years ago to study acting and pursue an acting and filmmaking career, she graduated from Atlantic Acting School Full-Time Acting Conservatory and has performed in off-off-Broadway productions and films internationally. From 2015 to 2019 Eka studied film directing, film history and American Studies in Georgia and Germany. Currently, Eka is working on her short film Don’t Talk To Milo and a devised theater piece under the legendary SITI company mentorship.
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Aftab Kovacs
Producer, Cinematographer
Aftab is an NYC-based Cinematographer and editor with a background in Graphic design. He moved to New York City to purse filmmaking with a focus in Cinematography and editing. Aftab has worked on multiple short films, music videos and documentary projects. He is currently working as a freelance cinematographer and editor.
Tsiako Abesadze
Producer
Hi Don’t Talk to Milo’s followers! I am Tsiako Abesadze, a Georgian-born film producer with a heartful experience in loving cinema and supporting young talents from around the world. Cinema has no borders, and no limitations, and I believe it is equal for everyone. I would like to share Jerry Zucker's quote from his book about how he and his brother David Zucker created Airplane: “Never assume that just because it’s someone’s job, they know how to do it. And don’t let yourself be intimidated by professionals and their uniforms.” When I met him in person, he asked me where I was from, and when I replied that I was from Georgia and living in Los Angeles, he immediately responded with loving eyes: “What a wonderful thing it is you coming to Los Angeles to show your perspective of cinema to the world.” I believe Eka has a unique talent and ability to create real characters on paper. I see her acting not just because I am giving her compliments, but because I genuinely feel the sparkles she keeps of doing it. We are both from Georgia who immigrated to the states, and I am thrilled to watch how she can show her perspective of this short story to the audience with the common feeling of letting go of things that do not belong to us.
.png)
Matias Bonino
Actor
Matias Bonino is an actor trained in the Meisner technique, known for his work across various mediums. His talent was recognized when he won Best Actor at an independent film festival organized by Outta Bounds Productions, for a short film he wrote, directed, and starred in.
On television, Bonino has appeared as a Co-star in notable shows such as "Wu-Tang: American Saga" and "FBI Most Wanted." In theater, he has portrayed characters like Friar Lawrence in "Romeo & Juliet" and Sidney in "A Common Martyr," showcasing his versatility on stage.
Bonino finds the essence of acting in moments of vulnerability and truth, where he can explore different facets of the human experience alongside his scene partners. His commitment to storytelling and personal growth through his craft sets him apart as a dedicated and skilled performer in the industry.
Amanda Coolidge
Actor
Amanda Coolidge is a NYC transplant originally from South Alabama. Moving here in 2019 to attend the Atlantic Acting School, she graduated in 2021 and has continued to pursue her acting endeavors whilst working full time and mommying two fur babies. She most recent work can soon be seen and/or heard in the short film, “Don’t Talk to Milo.”
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SYNOPSIS
After a decade of being unable to speak her true feelings, Ellie, now a married woman in her late twenties, meets her teenage crush, Milo, to admit her feelings to him.
Ellie is going through a rollercoaster of emotions reliving the old love and the old fear of talking to Milo. As Milo tries to understand why she reached out to him, he is torn between empathy for her and the annoyance with her confusing ways of communicating.
The constant contradiction this meeting gives birth to forces both of them to reevaluate not just the past but also the present. Don't Talk To Milo is a romantic dramedy about a person's desperate attempt to get closure.
WHY SUPPORT THIS FILM?
Someone recently asked me if this was a coming of age movie and it hit me. IT IS! Only coming of age 10 years later in your late 20s. There are more people like Ellie out there, who left a chapter open in the last "age group" they belonged to so they haven't been able to move on. For Ellie it's her teenage crush, but for you it might be something else. Some other unresolved issue, a relationship with your parent, that bully you never faced, that job you didn't apply for because you thought you weren't qualified enough, that dream you never pursued out of fear of failure, just that life you want to live and aren't able to because something is holding you back. This film examines how to face THAT thing that's holding you back even if it means embracing yourself, being awful at communicating, being scared, making a fool of yourself.
Elements of the Film
Where we are at and what's the plan:
Preproduction is in full swing! The actors are cast, and the heads of departments are ready to go. Rehearsals and director-DP collaboration are underway. Filmmaking is very expensive, and we want to compensate our amazing team as best we can. While it won't be close to their standard rates, they are passionate about the craft, love storytelling, and are excited about Ellie's story so they are all in!
66% of your support will provide small compensation for enormous work our talented team is doing
11% will help us secure the crucial location we need—a BAR! These are expensive to book.
>10% will go to equipment rental. No equipment, no film.
6% will cover meals and water for the team
2% for transportation and gas to get our team and equipment to the location
2% will help our actors dress the part and provide them with necessary props
1% will go to the hard drives we need to keep the footage before we deliver the film to you
and last but not least
5% will cover emergencies, because let's face it, if something can go wrong, it will.
If you would like to join us but can't contribute financially, we understand and would absolutely appreciate you sharing this this link on your social media, to your Friends and Family, you would still be helping us spread the word.
STRETCH GOALS
If we raise more than 100% we will be able to cover postproduction and festival distribution costs.
2000$ will cover color correction and editing. Editing is where everything comes together and we get that little piece of magic we call film.
1000$ will cover the festival distribution costs. Each submission costs anywhere from $50 to $100.
We want to have an audience. We are making the film so that people can see it and ideally leave the screening thinking about their lives.
Stills we used on this page are from the following films we love:
My Blueberry Nights
Decision To Leave
The Holdovers
Full Time
Unfaithful
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $6,675
Cast & Crew ARE the film! We have an amazing team of professionals and we really want to pay them at least close to what they are worth.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $600
We need to rent additional light and lenses to deliver the best quality film!
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $600
We need to feed our crew. They will be working hard and deserve the best.
Location
Costs $1,125
The main part of the story takes part in the bar and we are trying to get a bar in NEW YORK CITY. Those are expensive. :)
Contingency
Costs $500
Unexpected things happen on the sets all the time. But the show must go on! Help us keep the set running no matter what.
Hard Drives
Costs $100
We need to keep our footage safe.
Props and Wardrobe
Costs $200
We will need costumes and set pieces that have to be designed specifically for the story.
Car and Gas
Costs $200
We will need a car to transport all the equipment and some of the crew members.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Eka Kukhianidze
Writer, actor, director
Eka Kukhianidze is New York-based actor and writer born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia (the country, not the state). Emigrating to New York a couple of years ago to study acting and pursue an acting and filmmaking career, she graduated from Atlantic Acting School Full-Time Acting Conservatory and has performed in off-off-Broadway productions and films internationally. From 2015 to 2019 Eka studied film directing, film history and American Studies in Georgia and Germany. Currently, Eka is working on her short film Don’t Talk To Milo and a devised theater piece under the legendary SITI company mentorship.
Aftab Kovacs
Producer, Cinematographer
Aftab is an NYC-based Cinematographer and editor with a background in Graphic design. He moved to New York City to purse filmmaking with a focus in Cinematography and editing. Aftab has worked on multiple short films, music videos and documentary projects. He is currently working as a freelance cinematographer and editor.
Tsiako Abesadze
Producer
Hi Don’t Talk to Milo’s followers! I am Tsiako Abesadze, a Georgian-born film producer with a heartful experience in loving cinema and supporting young talents from around the world. Cinema has no borders, and no limitations, and I believe it is equal for everyone. I would like to share Jerry Zucker's quote from his book about how he and his brother David Zucker created Airplane: “Never assume that just because it’s someone’s job, they know how to do it. And don’t let yourself be intimidated by professionals and their uniforms.” When I met him in person, he asked me where I was from, and when I replied that I was from Georgia and living in Los Angeles, he immediately responded with loving eyes: “What a wonderful thing it is you coming to Los Angeles to show your perspective of cinema to the world.” I believe Eka has a unique talent and ability to create real characters on paper. I see her acting not just because I am giving her compliments, but because I genuinely feel the sparkles she keeps of doing it. We are both from Georgia who immigrated to the states, and I am thrilled to watch how she can show her perspective of this short story to the audience with the common feeling of letting go of things that do not belong to us.
Matias Bonino
Actor
Matias Bonino is an actor trained in the Meisner technique, known for his work across various mediums. His talent was recognized when he won Best Actor at an independent film festival organized by Outta Bounds Productions, for a short film he wrote, directed, and starred in.
On television, Bonino has appeared as a Co-star in notable shows such as "Wu-Tang: American Saga" and "FBI Most Wanted." In theater, he has portrayed characters like Friar Lawrence in "Romeo & Juliet" and Sidney in "A Common Martyr," showcasing his versatility on stage.
Bonino finds the essence of acting in moments of vulnerability and truth, where he can explore different facets of the human experience alongside his scene partners. His commitment to storytelling and personal growth through his craft sets him apart as a dedicated and skilled performer in the industry.
Amanda Coolidge
Actor
Amanda Coolidge is a NYC transplant originally from South Alabama. Moving here in 2019 to attend the Atlantic Acting School, she graduated in 2021 and has continued to pursue her acting endeavors whilst working full time and mommying two fur babies. She most recent work can soon be seen and/or heard in the short film, “Don’t Talk to Milo.”